1. Field
The instant invention relates to an improved potato planter having a plurality of feed tubes. Such planters are trailed from a tractor or other self-propelled device and contain a large supply of potatoes for planting in furrows which are made by the potato planter.
2. Prior Art
One of the early potato planters is described in U.S. Patent 1,034,017 to Kitchen. It comprises a large hopper with a conveyor mechanism which conveys potatoes to a point near a plow making a furrow so that the potatoes can be dropped in to the furrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,610 to Hoffman describes a planter having hydraulic lifts attached to a framework to lift the hopper and feed tube portions of the planter so that the feed tubes can be removed from the ground during turning.
A more recent patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,424 to Wigham, describes a potato planter having one or more hoppers attached to a tractor having hydraulic lift means wherein the whole potato planter may be lifted off the ground to facilitate turning of the tractor at row-ends. Because the tractor must lift the whole planter off the ground the Wigham device is only well suited to planters having four or less hoppers.